a species of velvet ant known as Traumatomutilla bifurca. With its furry exterior and distinct black and white markings, the insect “looks like magic,” Vinicius Lopez, an entomologist at the ...

Despite their name and looks, velvet ants are actually wasps. Many of these delightfully fuzzy insects exhibit bright, contrasting shades of black with red, orange or white. Their bold bodies serve as ...

Velvet ants in general are quite colorful, often with bright scarlet or orange patches, as well as silver, gold or white, usually with contrasting black patches. Their vibrant coloring serves as a ...

Not all carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) are black. But the two species you’re most likely to find in North America — the Eastern carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) and the Western one ...